The Wall Street Journal revealed an unusual conversation that prompted US President Joe Biden to hang up the phone in the face of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

It was reported that the Americans are considering legislation for a “package” that would send a strong message to Netanyahu - but so far - they have not implemented it.

According to the American newspaper, last January, the Biden administration considered activating a “package” aimed at sending a strong message to Israel. The package, according to US officials familiar with the details, included a change in two policies, one allowing Israeli products from the settlements to be identified as made in Israel, and that the settlements constitute a violation of international law.

In addition, the US government is also considering imposing sanctions on Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir. In the end, it was decided to impose sanctions on only four settlers, which also led to Israeli anger.

Netanyahu and Biden have spoken 18 times since the outbreak of the war, and according to American and Israeli officials, the relationship reached a boiling point about a month and a half ago, when Biden unexpectedly broke off the conversation with the prime minister after a disagreement and heated discussion about the civilians killed in Gaza, and about Washington’s position on the necessity of passing the peace agreement. Israel is in a phase of war and the focus is on surgical operations.

According to the report, Biden was so angry that he nearly screamed during a call on December 28, declaring the call over and hanging up on Netanyahu.

Washington made it clear that the United States would not support any plan for a large-scale invasion of Rafah, which angered many countries around the world, and that it preferred to carry out specific operations.

According to the sources, the US administration asked the Israeli army to prepare “a plan if it decided to ignore Washington’s advice and enter a city where there are more than a million refugees.”

Tensions between Biden and Netanyahu have been rising for months. In mid-December, Biden angered Netanyahu when he told his campaign fundraisers that Israel was starting to lose support around the world because of its “indiscriminate bombing” of Gaza. At the same event, Biden recalled something he once said to Netanyahu, whom he has known for nearly 50 years: “I told him: Bibi, I love you, but I don’t agree with anything you have to say.”

Source: Maan News